Linguini with Chicken Ragu

Ragu is an Italian dish made out of a meat-based sauce commonly served with pasta, it is a very generic definition for a meat sauce hence pasta dishes like Bolognese, Neapolitan and Barese falls in this category. Usually sauce is made by stock, water, wine, milk, cream, tomato or any combination of those. Meats used are can be beef, chicken, pork, duck, goose, lamb, mutton, veal, horse or game.

During the early days it is served without pasta and enjoyed more as a stew until the late 18th century with the influence of the French ragout. The first documented recipe for ragu that is paired with pasta that was used was maccheroni (or what we know as macaroni) dish prepared by Alberto Alvisi, he was the cook to the Cardinal of Imola the hence it was later known as The Cardinal’s Ragu. Then on the 19th century it gained popularity due to the affordability of pasta.

Today’s ragu recipe is made out of chicken and bacon infused with herbs, it’s simple yet very flavourful.